Because emergency medicine is a new medical speciality and involves rapid decision making, frequently on a limited data base and under pressures of time, physicians electing this area are likely to differ from those electing more conventional medical specialities. The major objective of this project is to systematically study physicians who complete emergency medicine residency training, to determine what social psychologically characterize and differentiates the process of professional socialization among emergency medicine residents as compared to physicians in other residencies. Part I: Analysis of applicants to residency programs: (1) the selection process of choosing applicants; (2) the subsequent career choice of those who are not successful applicants. Part II: A national survey of emergency medicine residents will be compared with internal medicine and surgery residents. A panel study design will be used to compare (1) those who complete a residency program (or three years of residency training); (2) one year post-residency follow-up of the emergency residents in #1; and (3) follow-up of emergency residents in #1 that drop out before residency completion. The panel design provides greater reliability in testing professional socialization hypotheses regarding expectations, commitment, processes of acquiring professional identity, acquiring professional skills, and attaining medical judgment--including decision making and evaluation. Hypotheses regarding job satisfaction, commitment and career lines will be tested among those who complete emergency residency programs (referred to in Part II-#2) and compared to emergency physicians who have not had specialized residency training. Part III: Application of data to determine practical programatic significance for (1) the development of EMS systems; (2) application of data for resident selection; (3) development of resident programs in EMS. This study has theoretical significance in the application and integration of professionals socialization formulations in relation to specialized medical residencies and other professional groups in general.